New Moon By The Numbers

MTV talked to Fandango about the ticket buying phenomena that is The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Aside from just pure raw data about the number of seats sold, Fandango has been using a questionnaire for purchasers and shares their analysis with MTV. Here are just a few factoids:

“Obviously, ‘Twilight’ had a huge following of book readers before the first movie was released, but these results might indicate that the first movie broadened the ‘Twilight’ following and expanded its audience — and that many moviegoers started reading the books after seeing the movie.”

“68 percent of the ticket-buyers weren’t aware of the “Twilight” franchise until the first film was released in November 2008. So, in essence, only 32 percent of the fans who have bought “New Moon” tickets have been “Twilight” fans for longer than 12 months.”

“Sports-betting Web site Bookmaker.com has asked its odds-makers to determine how much “New Moon” will make in its opening weekend; 40 percent believe the film will take in somewhere between $66 million and $80 million. That total would put it on track to equal or exceed the receipts of the first film.”

Now we have to say we really agree with the article based on our very unscientific observations of who comments on our blog and forums and who we’ve seen at Twilight conventions run by three different companies this year where our staff was on the panels. We can’t count the number of people who only got into Twilight at like Christmas 2008. So often we’d meet people and have to explain that Stephenie had outtakes on her website, or they’d ask what is Midnight Sun.

The other thing about those new fans that is really cool is they all have that slightly obsessed, giddy, “I just have to share this with someone” thing that those of us who got into Twilight earlier all went through. For us it was kind of like being a high school senior and looking at a freshman who reminded us of ourselves a few years ago. It’s so cool just to see that raw enthusiasm out of people ranging from 10 to 80. Plus these guys read 4 books in row and didn’t have to wait…not even, going to lie, Pel is slightly jealous about that.

The only downside we’ve seen is that when we now see mass gatherings of fans, the homemade tee shirts have all but disappeared. The commercial ones have taken over. We kind of miss that old school originality from back in the day when slogans like, “Edward Cullen: Cooler Than You Since 1917″ were seen for the first time on a homemade shirt.

Anyway enough nostalgia before we get all weepy and start cyber hugging and singing Sarah McLachlan. We do have a poll because we are curious about some of the things in the MTV article.

Comments

This comment is about the MTV report on New Moon box office numbers on opening week estimated at between 66 and 80 million dollars. I read an article that said that online ticket purchases had reached over 192 million dollars. The numbers don’t add up. 80 million doesn’t seem likely when they have already sold 192 million tickets online! By the way, I am a Twilight Grandmom and proud of it. I got hooked in May 2009 and I can’t get enough of Edward Cullen!

Never even wanted to see movie, but with tv season being off and bad weather in area all summer rented the movie just because. When I watched the extras I learned it was from a book and there were more books. I found the love story in the movie wonderful so went on line and looked up books. Once reading parts of them off SM web site I bought them on line, read New Moon and Eclipse in 6 days, Breaking dawn took just over week as I just could not get into it like the three other books. New Moon is the best out of all of them if you ask me. I have reread the first 3 books few times now and still New moon is the best. So as you can guess I really want to see the movie, that already looks 100% better then the first one. I got family and friends into it too, that like me were not interested at first either. But once you read the books your hooked.

on october 22nd it will have been 13 months since i picked up Twilight, but it wasnt until after i finished New Moon or maybe even Eclipse that i found out about the movie, and nobody told me about it, i found it myself.

I wanted to do the poll, but I’m on my internet cell phone and it won’t let me. I heard about Twilight about two years ago when a girl was going on and on about it in a McDonald’s. I thought she was insane talking about vampires in public, and being oblivious to her friend’s embarrassment. I then saw a commercial for the movie, but it just showed Bella on Edward’s back and then flashed to the deer running through the forest. Looking back, that was a pretty bad trailer to make, but, anyways, I completely blew it off. Again. Then I saw a really good trailer for it and immediately wanted to see it, but because of my baby and no sitter, I had to rent it. I fell in love. I got twilight from my library, and red it in one night. I had to borrow the other four from my sister, and red the entire series twice in one week. I adore the entire series and almost broke my husband’s back and ear drums when he surprised me with the series, movie and soundtrack. I adore the series and wish I had the time and know-how to make my own shirt. I’ve looked through some of the merchandise linked to the main page, but I’m not allowed to order anything because my husband is an enthusiasm killer. X.x. Either way, I can’t wait for new moon and eclipse and breaking dawn, and I am still as enthusiastic as most other new-comers.

I became a fan just after New Moon came out. I had always saw Twilight on the shelf and thought that cover looks interesting (yes I judge books by the covers) but never actually picked it up. And then my friend wouldnt stop talking about it so I read it, and thus I became obsessed haha. Sooo that makes me a fan after New Moon, 2006.

I can’t remember when exactly I first read Twilight, it was either late 2006 or realy 2007. All I know for sure was that it was a few months before New Moon came out in Australia (where i live), which was many months after it came out in america. I’m a big reader and I follow a lot of blogs and the name Twilight kept coming up. I don’t like being out of the loop so of course I had to read it And I’ve loved it ever since.

I’ve never been the type of person to get super excited so I never really had a giddy fan stage, but it makes me happy that a lot of people do. It’s only the crazies that give us a bad name and there’s not that many of them.
Shame on anyone picking on the newcomers. It’s like those muso’s that say “i liked that band before they sold-out”. Geez.
I think it’s great that so many people have stuck with the series so long, but I also think it’s great that more and more people are picking it up.

I personally think that admitting you never heard about it until the movie is pretty brave(considering the rabidness of some fans). I think its great that once people realised it’s based on a book that they read said book.

My best friend introduced it to me after New Moon came out. At first I was a little skeptical, but once I started reading it I was HOOKED! I don’t even know how many times I’ve read the books. I was very disappointed in the movie, especially the casting choice for Edward(cringe)… don’t even get me started… But then at the same time it’s okay that I don’t like him because then the actor won’t take place of MY imagination of Edward. I don’t know. I hope New Moon is better, it looks like it might.
Anyway, so it’s all thanks to my BFF. I wouldn’t have become a fan without her. And I’m SO glad I gave it a try. I wish Stephenie would just finish Midnight Sun and publish it…sigh.
Team Edward all the way!

Well I have been a fan since April this year so I am definately a newbie! I’m not sure whether it is because I live in the UK but I had never heard of the Twilight series of books. I am 24 and brought the Twilight DVD after seeing the trailer on TV, I watched it on my own one night and totally fell in love with the story. About a week later at a family gathering I was talking to my 15 year old cousin who told me she was reading the books the film was based on and said they were brilliant – better than the film, so the next day I brought all four books…And that was it I was hooked. It took me about a week to read all four, I work during the day and didnt dare take them to work with me as I wouldnt have got anything done! Since then I have read them over and over again…my friends don’t get it at all! Apart from my cousin I don’t know anyone who has read the books, or even seen the film… So I turned to the net to see if anyone else was as obsessed as me…and only then did I realise how HUGE Twilight is and I felt relieved to see that I am definately not on my own! I don’t think it really matters whether you have been a fan for five years or five days I just think it is great that a book can still have such an impact on so many people! Thank you Stephenie and thank you Lexicon for feeding my obsession for all things Twilight!

i started reading it right before breaking dawn came out, and a week or so before the movie, everyone was reading it. it drives me insane! and to have to explain what Midnight sun is? that’s terrible. i’m not saying i’ve been a fan from the start, but i know my twilight better than most people.